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Airlines have adjusted flight schedules, made cancellations and assured passengers they would not have to pay unusually high fares ahead of the storm's arrival.

American Airlines, the largest U.S. carrier by passenger traffic, on Wednesday said it would begin winding down operations in south Florida, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, on Friday. Miami-bound flights arriving on Friday from Europe and South America were canceled.

Delta Air Lines and JetBlue announced fare caps on flights out of Florida - $99 on JetBlue and $399 on Delta - for residents trying to get out of the storm's path.

"We want those trying to leave ahead of the hurricane to focus on their safe evacuation rather than worry about the cost of flights," JetBlue spokesman Doug McGraw said.

4.30pm CDT: Third hurricane forms at Katia upgraded

Incredibly a third hurricane has now formed in the Gulf of Mexico, with Katia being upgraded from a tropical storm.

A hurricane watch is in effect for the coast of the state of Veracruz from Tuxpan to Laguna Verde.

The Mexican Government has issued a hurricane watch for the region meaning hurricane conditions are possible.

4.10pm CDT: Jose upgraded from tropical storm to hurricane

As Hurricane Irma continues to batter its way through the Caribbean towards Florida, Hurricane Jose has strengthened quickly from a tropical storm.

Hurricane Jose is still located deep in the Atlantic Ocean but is strengthening quickly as it approaches the Caribbean.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced this evening: “Additional strengthening is forecast, and Jose could be near major hurricane strength on Friday.

They said it had shown sustained winds of 75mph “with higher gusts”.

No alerts are currently in place at any islands or territories but the NHC did say anyone with “interests in the Leeward Islands should monitor the progress of Jose”.

3.00pm CDT: NHC issues alert

Hurricane Irma is now “battering” the Virgin Islands, according to a 4pm EST (9pm BST) update by the National Hurricane Centre (NHC).

The alert said maximum sustained winds of 185mph had been recorded - speeds described as "life threatening" by Caribbean officials earlier this week.

As many as 37 million people could feel the effects of the terrifying hurricane Irma, claimed UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

Mr Dujarric said: “As Hurricane Irma is moving west over the Caribbean, our humanitarian colleagues are deploying a team to Barbados today to work with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). Additional teams are on standby to travel.

“Estimates of population exposure to the hurricane could be as high as 37 million people, according to Dujarric.

“In Haiti, the U.N. Country Team is fully supporting Haitian authorities and OCHA Haiti has also deployed staff to the northern departments of the country, which are likely to be impacted.

12.15pm CDT: Hurricane Irma strikes the Virgin Islands

The US and UK Virgin Islands have bow fallen under the devastating wind of Hurricane Irma.

Forecaster Micheal Ventrice tweeted: “Current look at Major Hurricane #Irma after devastating parts of the N. Leeward islands. Irma is now bearing down on the Virgin Islands.”

Parts of the hurricane are expected to affect the northern reaches of Puerto Rico.

Irma is then forecast to make its way towards the Turks and Caicos Islands, reaching them by late Thursday.

9.27am CDT:Hurricane Irma 'so big that it would cover the UK and Ireland'

Liam Dutton, weather presenter for Channel4 News, said: “Hurricane Irma is so big that it would cover the UK and Ireland.

"It's currently heading through the Caribbean towards Florida this weekend.”

8.52am CDT: Florida Keys residents to be evacuated

A mandatory evacuation order will go into effect for all residents of Florida Keys tonight, Florida’s Governor Rick Scott has announced.

He wrote on Twitter: “Every Floridian should take storm preparations seriously and be aggressive to protect their family.

“There is currently a mandatory evacuation order for all visitors in the FL Keys- this order will go into effect for all residents tonight.

“We can expect additional evacuations as this storm continues to near our state. EVERYONE must listen to your local officials.

The latest NOAA advisory at 8am EDT (7am CDT) put Irma 15 miles west of St Martin and 15 miles west-south-west of Anguilla

The storm was moving west-northwest at 16mph and is forecast to move over the northern Virgin Islands later today.

“The forecast has become more uncertain after 72 h due to large eastward shifts by the ECMWF, Canadian, and HWRF models related to forecasts of the mid- to upper-level trough over the southeastern United States,” the latest update from the NOAA's NHC said.

“The bulk of the guidance now calls for Irma to turn northward between 78W-80W, moving near or over the Florida east coast or the northwestern Bahamas.”

Irma is now forecast to make landfall in south Florida in between 96 and 120 hours times.

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Hurricane Irma path update: Latest models show the path has shifted east

The NHC warned: "The chance of direct impacts from Irma beginning later this week and this weekend from wind, storm surge, and rainfall continues to increase in the Florida Keys and portions of the Florida Peninsula.

"However, it is too soon to specify the timing and magnitude of these impacts."

The NHC warned: “Irma is a potentially catastrophic category 5 hurricane and will bring life-threatening wind, storm surge, and rainfall hazards to portions of the northern Leeward Islands, including the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, today.

Irma is on track to affect northern coast of the Dominican Republic, Haiti, parts of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos on Wednesday night through Friday.

The NHC added: “Irma could directly affect the remainder of the Bahamas and Cuba as an extremely dangerous major hurricane later this week.”

NOAA NHC

Hurricane Irma path update: Tropical Storm Jose has now formed over the Atlantic

Irma was last located just 35 miles (55 km) east-southeast of St Martin and 145 miles (235 km) east of St Croix.

The NHC warned: "On the forecast track, the extremely dangerous core of Irma will move over portions of the northern Leeward Islands this morning, move near or over portions of the northern Virgin Islands later today, and pass near or just north of Puerto Rico this afternoon or tonight."

The US Navy is evacuating one of its Florida bases and more than 5,000 military personnel are being moved out of the region to safety.

A Navy spokesman confirmed the "mandatory evacuation of non-essential personnel and dependents from NAS Key West to safe haven within 300 miles of Atlanta, Georgia”.

6.30pm CDT: International Space Station captures Hurricane Irma

Dramatic footage, from the International Space Station’s external cameras, show Hurricane Irma churning across the Atlantic Ocean.

4.40pm CDT: Gas futures drop as hurricane approaches

Benchmark US gasoline futures have fallen nearly 4 percent as refineries restarted. Futures traders are worried that Irma could disrupt demand while supply recovered as most refineries returned to service.

The NHC warned: “Irma is a potentially catastrophic category 5 hurricane and will bring life-threatening wind, storm surge, and rainfall hazards to portions of the northeastern Leeward Islands beginning later today and the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico beginning tomorrow.”

10.05am CDT: Hurricane Irma winds hit 180 mph - near all-time record

Hurricane Irma now has maximum sustained winds of 180 mph (290 km/h), while its minimal central pressure is 931 mb.

Irma is just 10 mph (16 km/h) away from reaching the 190 mph (305 km/h) record set by Hurricane Allen in 1980.

10am CDT: Hurricane Irma closer to Antigua and Barbuda

Hurricane Irma was located about 225 miles (365km) east of Antigua and 230 miles (370km) east of Barbuda in the middle of the Leeward Islands.

Irma is moving west at 14 mph (22 km/h) and is forecast to turn west-northwest tonight as it hits northern the Leeward Islands.

The NWS warned: “Hurricane Irma is moving closer to the Caribbean. Tropical storm conditions are expected in the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico early Wednesday, with hurricane conditions arriving later that day.

“Destructive winds, storm surge, dangerous surf, heavy rainfall and flash flooding are possible. There is an increasing chance of seeing impacts from Irma in parts of Florida later this week.”

3.45am CDT: Irma could make landfall near Miami in Florida

The latest storm track shows Irma could hit Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, before heading towards Cuba by the end of the week.

Uncertainty hangs over the path of the storm this weekend. Irma could turn towards Florida, perhaps making landfall near Miami, or it could move south of Cuba.

It is also possible that Hurricane Irma could go back out to sea or move along the US coast and hit somewhere else in America.

Florida Governor Rick Scott tweeted that Mr Trump has “offered the full resources of the federal government as Floridians prepare for Hurricane Irma”.

4.45pm CDT: Florida under state of emergency

Florida Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in the state, saying: “Hurricane Irma is a major and life-threatening storm and Florida must be prepared.

“I have continued to be briefed by the Florida Division of Emergency Management on Hurricane Irma and current forecast models have Florida in Irma's path - potentially impacting millions of Floridians."

The storm is currently gaining speed as it makes its way across the Atlantic, potentially reaching Florida in the second hurricane strike on mainland US soil in recent days.

3.41pm CDT: The NHC has upgraded Irma to a category 4 hurricane.

The NHC announced that Hurricane Irma has been upgraded to category 4 as it continues to strengthen as it heads toward the Leeward Islands.

2.50pm CDT: Puerto Rico declares state of emergency

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossell has now declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard in preparation for the arrival of Irma.

He said: “Despite the economic challenges Puerto Rico is facing, the approved budget has $15 million for the emergency fund.”

In the latest NHC discussion, forecaster Robbie Berg said the hurricane would turn westward later today and then west-northwestward within 48 hours.

He said: “It’s becoming increasingly likely that Irma would maintain a west-northwestward heading on days 3 through 5, and the track guidance shifted significantly westward on this cycle during that period.

Remarkably, the track models are very tightly clustered through day 5, which increases the confidence in the westward shift of the latest NHC forecast.”